Residence electric plant.



N0. 637-,Il5 Patented Nov. 14, I899. G. M. HISE.& J. W. ECKMAN.

RESIDENCE ELECTRIC PLANT.

(Application filed Feb. 24, 1899.; I Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

Qwi tnme/y J WE a moraumo. WASHINGTON n c N0. 637,!!5. Patented Nov. l4, I899. G. M. HISE 8:. J. W. ECKMAN. RESIDENCE ELECTRIC PLANT.

(Application filed Feb. 24 1899.- (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANT M. HISE, OF ASSUMPTION, AND JOHN IV. EOKMAN, OF AROOLA, ILLINOIS.

RESIDENCE ELECTRIC PLANT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 637,115, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed February 24, 1899. Serial No. 706,722. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GRANT M. HISE, residing at Assumption, in the county of Christian, and JOHN W. EOKIWIAN, residing at Arcola, in

the county of Douglas, State of Illinois, citi-' Zens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resideuce Electric Plants; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is designed to provide an electric plant of a portable character for illuminating dwellings, halls, stores, and places requiring a limited number of lampssay fifteen to twenty-five, or thereabout, or as many more as may be required; to mount the operating parts, the motor, the dynamo, and the connections, upon the same pedestal, base, or bed, whereby a compact and single organized structure is produced; to secure safety in the handling of the parts when the apparatus is running; to prevent fire by the crossing or short-circuiting of the working line or leads, and to interpose in the main circuit a breaker for interrupting the same when the leads are crossed from any cause.

Theinvention consists of the novel features, details of construction, and combination of the parts, which hereinafter will be more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the drawings hereto attached, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric plant embodying the vital features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing positive gearing between the flywheel of the engine and the armature-shaft of the dynamo. Fig. 3 is adiagrammatical view showing the field and working circuits. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cut-out.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The motor or engine 1 may be of any type; but it is preferred to use an upright of the gasolene variety. This engine is mounted upon a pedestal, base, or bed 2, and is small, being of one-horse power. The engineshaft 3 has a fly-wheel 4: at each end, as is usual.

A bracket 5 springs from a side of the base 2, and maybe integral therewith or bolted thereto, and supports the dynamo 6, which is of about one-quarter-horse power.

The dynamo may be driven from the dywheel by either belt or cog gearing. As shown in Fig. 2, the rim of the gear-wheel is internally toothed and meshes with a pinion '7 on the end of the armature-shaft. This form of gearing obviates slipping and secures positiveness of action. Fig. 1 shows a drive-belt S, passing around the fly-wheel, anda bandpulley 9 on the armature-shaft. A plate or bracket 10, carrying an idler 11, is adjustably connected with the support 5, and the idler bears against a portion of the drive-belt and maintains the proper working tension thereon.

The dynamo is composed of oppositely-disposed pairs of field-magnets 12, pole-pieces 13, armature 14, wrapped in any of the usual ways, commutator 15, and brushes 16 and 17. The wire 18, constituting the primary or field circuit, is wrapped around the cores of the field-magnets in consecutive and reverse order, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3, and-its terminals connect with the brushes 16 and 17.

The working circuit consists of the loads 18 and 19, including the lamps 20, the loads 21 and 22, having the switch 23, the conductors 24, 25, and 26, and the automatic cut-out 27. This cut-out consists of an electromagnet 28, with its armature 29 hinged to the frame of the dynamo, a fixed contact 30 constituting a clutch member and having the conductor 24 in electrical connection therewith, a movable contact 31, hinged to the armature 29 and making clutch engagement with the clutch member 30, and a tension device for regulating the resistance to the movement of the armature 29. The tension device consists of a spring 32, attached at its upper end to the armature 29 and having its lower end passing through an opening in a post 33, attached to the frame of the dynamo and adjustably held therein by means of a clamp-screw 34:. An arm 35 rises from the post 33 and limits the downward movement of the armature when the clutch member 31 is released. The movable contact 31 is a curved arm or bar hooked at its upper end to engage with the contact 30 and pivoted at its ICC lower end to the armature 29. This contact or clutch member 31 is weighted or so mounted as to fall away from the contact 30 when elevated a sufficient distance to clear the en-' gaging portion or nib thereof. A handle 36 projects outward from the arm and is grasped when returning the arm to a normal position. The terminals of the wire of the electromagnet 28 connect with the armature 29 and the conductor 25.

When the plant is in operation, the direction of the working circuit, starting from the brush 16,'is as follows: through conductor 26, leads 21 and 19, lamps 20, leads 18 and 22, conductor 24, clutch members 30 and 31, armature 29, electromagnet 28, conductor 25, brush 17, and armature 15, back to brush 16. Under normal conditions the clutch members 30 and 31 remain in engagementby reason of the weight of the armature 29 and arm 31 and the downpull of the tension device. Should the leads become crossed or short-circuited from any cause, the amperage of the electromagnet 28 will be increased and overcome the inertia of the armature 29 and move it and the clutch-arm 31 upward and effect a disengagement of the clutch, when the arm 31 will fall and automatically interrupt the main or working circuit.

The plant can be utilized for illuminating, running-fly-fans, and driving small and light machinery in rural districts and places where it is not possible to secure a current fr0m a general supply.

While the drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a working circuit including a dynamo and lamps or the like, an automaticcut-out for breaking the circuit and included therein, the same consisting of a fixed contact, an electromagnet, an armature pivoted at one end and located below the electromagnet, means for limiting the downward movement of the armature and holding it in a predetermined position, and a movable contact pivoted to the free end of said armature and nor Inally in clutched engagement at its free end with the aforesaid fixed contact, the armature and pivoted contact being raised upon the amperage of the electromagnet increasing beyond a given point whereby the piv oted contact is released and falls away'from the fixed contact, substantiallyas described.

2. In a working circuit including a dynamo and lamps or the like, an automatic cut-out for breaking the circuit and included therein, the same consisting of a fixed contact, an electromagnet, an armature pivoted atone end and arranged below the electromagnet, a support for the outer end of the armature, a tension-sprin g applied to the armature,1neans for varying the tension of said spring, and a curved arm pivoted at its lower end to the free end of the armature and normally hav ing its upper end in clutched engagement with the fixed contact, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a working circuit including a dynamo and lamps or the like, an electromagnet, a fixed contact located above said magnet, a pivoted armature placed below the magnet, an arm forming a support for the armature, an adjustable spring applied to the outer end of the pivoted armature, and a curved arm pivoted at its lower end to the free end of the armature and having its upperend normally in clutched engagement with the fixed con tact, the electromagnet, the armature and the contacts forming part of the circuit and included therein and the armature and curved arm being lifted upon the amperage of the electromagnet increasing beyond a predetermined point, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a working circuit including a dynamo and lamps or the like, an automatic cut-out for breaking the circuit and included therein, the same consisting of a fixed contact, an electromagnet belowsaid contact, a pivoted armature below said magnet, a post having a transverse opening and provided with a clamp-screw, an arm rising from said post and forming a support forthe pivoted armature, a spring applied to the freeend of the armature and having adjustable connection with the aforesaid post by having its lower end portion passing through the opening thereof and held by the clamp -screw, and a curved arm pivoted to the free end of the armature and normallyin clutched engagement at its upper end with the fixed contact, the parts being combined to operate substantially in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GRANT ill. I-IISE. JOHN W. EOKMAN.

\Vitnesses:

WALTER E. WALKER, ELIJAH WALKER.

[L. s.] [L. s.] 

